This invention relates to disposable sanitary pads such as diapers which have an absorbent pad that is both narrower and shorter than the diaper back sheet. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing and packaging such sanitary pads. In the past, disposable diapers had an absorbent pad that was long enough to reach the top of the diaper waistband. The waistband was formed by folding the opposing end margins of the diaper back sheet inwardly over the ends of the absorbent pad to form a multiple thickness waistband in the portions of the back sheet and top sheet which extended laterally beyond the side margins of the absorbent pad. The folded-over portion of the back sheet and top sheet was fastened down with an adhesive to form a permanent fold which constituted the waistband. Inasmuch as the absorbent pad came to the top of the waistband, no trouble was encountered in folding the diaper for packaging or in packaging the diaper.
In recent years, however, new chemicals have been developed with increase the absorbency of such absorbent pads and thus permit the use of smaller pads. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the absorbent pads to reduce the cost of the diapers. However, as the position of the waistband cannot be dropped to match the shortened pads without spoiling the fit of the diapers, the result is that a portion of the relatively thin and easily yieldable waistband projects beyond the ends of the absorbent pad after the diapers are folded for packaging in the conventional manner. This presents difficulty in handling and packaging the diaper and causes the portion of the waistband which projects beyond the ends of the absorbent pad to become crushed in the package.